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Washington, D.C. – Congressman Darren Soto released the following statement after Republican Senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue introduced the Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy (RAISE) Act, a proposal to drastically reduce legal immigration into the United States:

“The RAISE Act is a flagrant attack on legal immigration; it goes against American values and does not put “America First”. These radical cuts to visa allotments would not only hurt the American economy, but would also tear families apart.

“By eliminating all family-based legal immigration categories (except for spouses and minor children), adult U.S. citizens would now be unable to reunite with their loved ones in the country they call home. Moreover, prioritizing English speaking people and high-skilled immigrants would be a disadvantage to immigrants from war-torn countries or low-income families, and will inevitably force close family members to remain apart. This bill ignores America’s long-standing tradition of accepting all immigrants, regardless of “skill level”, into the United States.

“Our immigrants are working; our laws are not. The solution to our nation’s broken and outdated immigration system is moving forward with a bipartisan comprehensive reform, one that keeps families together and recognizes the economic contributions of immigrants in our communities.”

Curbing visas for legal immigrants would also gravely curb economic growth. According to the Florida Chamber of Commerce, immigration boosts productivity, benefits the economy, and complements labor demands in key industries for the state of Florida. The Sunshine State, and Central Florida in particular, can ill-afford to restrict “low-skilled” immigrants from entering its aging labor force or from contributing to its thriving agriculture industry.